Outdoor Water Use
in the United States
An American family of four can use 400 gallons
of water per day, and about 30 percent of that
is devoted to outdoor uses. More than half of
that outdoor water is used for watering lawns and
gardens. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimat-
ed to account for almost one-third of all residential
water use, totaling more than 7 billion gallons per
day. Other residential outdoor uses include washing
automobiles, maintaining swimming pools, and
cleaning sidewalks and driveways.
Water use varies greatly depending on geographic
location and season, largely as a result of differences
in climate. Water withdrawals for irrigation and land-
scaping are highest in the drier regions of the West
and Southwest, where population growth is often
greatest.
Some experts estimate that more than 50 percent of
commercial and residential irrigation water use goes
to waste due to evaporation, wind, improper system
design, or overwatering. Following are some com-
mon outdoor water inefficiencies, but there are sim-
ple solutions to reduce water waste and produce
great results:
• Many people water their lawns too often and for
too long, oversaturating plants. It's usually not
necessary to water grass every day. Instead, test
your lawn by stepping on a patch of grass; if it
springs back, it doesn't need water.
• Regular maintenance of an irrigation system can
help ensure that water is distributed evenly on
the lawn and does not overspray onto paved
areas. Look for a WaterSense8 irrigation partner
to maintain and audit your system to keep it
working efficiently.
• Weather-based irrigation controllers can reduce
water use by 20 percent compared to conven-
Outdoor Water Use: Landscaping
Wasted Landscape Water
50%
Source: The Saving Water
Partnership "Water Efficient Irrigation
Study: Final Report."May 2003
tional equipment, potentially saving nearly 24
billion gallons per year across the United
States—approximately equal to more than 7,000
hoses running non-stop for a year.
• Soil moisture sensors determine the amount of
water in the ground available to plants. These
sensors, when professionally installed and prop-
erly maintained, can potentially save a house-
hold more than 11,000 gallons of water used for
irrigation annually.
WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to
help homeowners and businesses improve water
efficiency and reduce their costs by promoting effi-
cient irrigation technologies such as weather-based
irrigation controllers and soil moisture sensors. For
more information, visit .
July 2007
(866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) • www.epa.gov/watersense • watersense@epa.gov
Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper.
&EFA
EPA-832-F-06-005
------- |